Owen could not believe what he was looking at and he blinked several times before looking back at me.
His mouth parted and all he could managed was a gasp of air escaping from his mouth.
Danzo spoke in Japanese to Nakamura, no doubt telling him that I’m crazy but Nakamura did not seem fazed at all. If anything, he appeared to be a little amused.
Nakamura : Mr Jeff ….. haha…. May I ask why… ?
There was no need to be embarrassed with my answer. I felt that being honest in this instance would work in our favour.
Jeff : I’m sorry Mr Nakamura…… Owen gave strict instructions not to bring guns…. He would have wanted to come unarmed but I am not comfortable…..
I paused for a moment to let it sink in. The nod of his head and smile on his face told me all I needed to know.
Jeff : Please the Singaporean in me……..the Kiasu (afraid to lose ) part is really in our blood and culture….
I was not sure of what other term I could use to describe the situation. I don’t remember learning in school what is the term to describe bringing a grenade to a meeting between people from the same industry.
Nakamura laughed as he spoke with Danzo in Japanese.
Nakamura : hahhahaa… it’s ok…. It’s ok… no problem…. You are a funny man….
Jeff : No..no… I’m just insecure…
Danzo felt compelled to cut in at this point and added ;
Danzo : Insecure…… or insane ? That would have killed us all….
Jeff : well…. I was really hoping it will never get used….. especially seeing the spread of food you have prepared….
Nakamura laughed and gestured us all over to the table.
Nakamura : come come… let’s eat…. Hahaha… hahah
Owen looked visibly embarrassed as he joined Nakamura at the table.
As he walked past me, he mumbled that he wants that grenade after the meeting.
Whatever man.
I have another 2 more. He can have it if he wants it.
Nakamura poured sake for everyone and he did not waste time getting to the point of the meeting.
Nakamura : Owen…. I’ll go straight to the point….
Owen : ok…. I’m listening….
Nakamura told Owen that men are missing in Japan.
Men that he is keeping an eye on.
They don’t work for him, nor are they related to him and his organisation, but dangerous man from a splinter faction led by a former colleague started to go missing.
They call themselves Ronin.
Nakamura : It means a Samurai without master…… but they are just thugs….they are no Samurai..….. mere thugs disrespectful of culture and are essentially, mercenaries for hire…….We keep tabs on them….. but for the past 4 months, they started disappearing , one after another….
Nakamura got a little worked up describing his fellow countrymen .
He did not attempt to hide his disgust for this group of men. They are criminals, some of them former rejects that did not make the cut to join his organisation. They are violent, and rank at the bottom tier of the order when it comes to honour and personal values, they have none.
Nakamura : these men….are despised…. Look down upon in our country…. even the Yakuza… hunt them…. They will do anything for money…. They care nothing about Japan or her people….. even far less about the law and honour…..they are a disgrace…. To our people and our country…
Owen : I see…..
Danzo stopped his boss from going on at the sight of him getting so worked up. He offered him tea which Nakamura accepted as he paused to catch his breath.
I said nothing, alternating my attention between the table and the main door.
I’m only a few steps away from my knife, sitting on the floor in that position meant my legs will get numb soon.
I made sure to keep adjusting to keep the blood flowing. Always think from your opponent’s perspective and plan ahead.
The last this I need was for my legs to go numb when my belly is full of food and the men starts coming in with their weapons drawn.
Nakamura :….. these missing men…….. they are not dead…..they are all well and alive…. The reason why I ask to meet you… is because they are in Singapore….
I froze, with my chopsticks touching a slice of what looked like a really fatty piece of tuna that would hurt my wallet if I were to order it in a restaurant.
Owen’s expression said nothing.
If he was aware of this, he did not let it show.
Nakamura : 7 of them has been spotted….. in Singapore…..i hope you can help us…..find them… we tried to keep tabs on them but someone is hiding them….
Owen looked as if he was deep in thought as he nodded his head.
Danzo : it’s near impossible for the men to leave Japan without help….. more so for them to remain hidden so well….
I looked up at Danzo and shot back.
Jeff : what are you suggesting ? …
Danzo : I did not suggest anything……I merely offered another piece of information….
Looking at the start of a potential squabble, Owen asked me to calm down.
Owen : I do have information…. About a couple of men entering the country via Malaysia some time back……. My people were following 2 of them but they disappeared….can’t locate them since….
Nakamura : Someone…. Is planning something…..with these men… they will not take such great risk…. Leaving Japan ….. and of all places… why Singapore….
Owen : I’ll get some of my people on this….and we’ll be sure to share any information with you…..and we hope you would do the same… and Nakamura San, please do not conduct any…… activities…… of your own in our country….
Danzo : What we do is none of your business….
Jeff : we don’t care what you do…. It’s where you do it …… not here…
Danzo looked like he was about to burst a vein but Nakamura held onto his man, his expression that of a experienced general who has seen it all. He maintained a level of calmness that would be difficult for most men.
Owen : We will keep an eye on this…… developing situation….and please rest assure that we will find these men…..and we will help bring them back to Japan…
Nakamura smiled and thanked Owen for his help before offering up some frightening statistics.
Nakamura : 32 are missing…..7 have been spotted ….. we don’t know how many more there are…. Danzo will send you the necessary information about these men tonight…. More might arrive…. They might not… we don’t know…
Owen : thank you… we will keep an eye on this situation…
Nakamura : yes please…. We do not want to risk damaging the relationship between our countries….. because of a few ….. rouge individuals
The discussion went on to a lighter note as we concluded dinner within the next 15 minutes.
As the 1st bottle of Sake is emptied, Owen told our host we need to make a move.
Owen : I’m sorry we could not stay longer….. there is somewhere else I need to be..
Nakamura : no problem…. Thank you for agreeing to come over….. I look forward to your next meeting….. hopefully it’s not about work….
Owen thanked our host for the dinner and I retrieved my knife together with the grenade.
We walked quietly to the carpark and did not say a word, knowing full well that the walls have ears.
I started the engine in the car and we made our way out of the association.
Owen : Singapore Island country club…
Jeff : ok….
As I pulled onto the main road, Owen pulled out a scanner from his pocket the size of a mobile phone. Developed locally by our own local arms dealer, it detects all outgoing signals within a 6m radius.
The screen filled up immediately with digits and values changing spots rapidly as we moved. Every car we passed by causes the figures to change.
Turning into the small road leading to the country club a short distance away from the Japanese association, the number of signals detected began to fall.
I kept on driving and the signal kept dropping until it was left with only 3.
2 from Owen’s mobile phone and 1 from mine.
He shut it off and asked me for the grenade.
Owen : give me the fucking grenade…… I was pretty sure they would bug the car….
I handed it to him and Owen pocketed it.
Jeff : why is that so ? ..
Owen : I would do it if I were them…
Jeff : I wouldn’t…. they wanted us to trust them ….doing something like this would defeat all purpose of the meeting…
Owen gave me a raised eye brown, looking impressed.
Owen : not bad eh….
Jeff : so… what’s the play here….
Owen : Nothing…. We don’t do anything for now…
Jeff ; you serious ?
Owen :Yeah…. Not until we have more information what is going on…. We don’t want to be sent on a wild goose race by others…… and I’m not doing other people’s dirty work….
Jeff : oh…. So there’s nothing to be done…
Owen : yeap… I’ll assign someone to keep an eye on things… I need you for another project in a couple of weeks…..
Jeff : Billy briefly mentioned something about it.
Owen : The audit team is pouring through the documents we have on hand to authorise the project….. I expect the approval to come in the next few days…. The project is a bit different this time…. as in we do not know who the target it yet…
Jeff : what ? what kind of project comes without a target…..
Owen checked some messages on his phone and asked me to drop him off at Ang Mo Kio.
As we pulled back into the main road, Owen told me that details will be made known to me once the audit team is done.
Owen : I’ll be upfront… you’re not going to like this…..new project…
Jeff : when have I ever like the projects you gave me….
Owen : hey…. You almost fucking hug me that time when you had to pretend you are some big fuck staying for 2 weeks in a suite at Fullerton Hotel…..
Jeff : oh….. once then….
Owen : let not’s forget you got to fuck Pillbox at your most recent project…
Jeff : what the fuck man….. Billy told you that ?
Owen : No…. Yiling did… her mission report…. She put it in…..
Jeff ; what the fuck….. she did … why would she do that ??
Owen : I’ll let you know the exact words….. hahahah
Owen cleared his throat and pretended to speak in a whiny voice, imitating that of a woman trying to give a formal report.
Owen : “subject left me no choice but to get intimate physically in order not to arouse his suspicion “ ahhahahaha…. “ He made repeated attempts to initiate sex through subtle hints “
Jeff : fuck off…. You’re an asshole you know that ?
Owen : Yeah….. sometimes I think I am one too…… guess what…… it takes an asshole to do what I do for a living….
Owen directed me to a housing estate in the edge of Ang Mo Kio housing estate and I pulled into the carpark.
I saw 2 cars waiting for him and I stopped a distance away.
Owen told me to get ready for my next project before he left. I watched him hopped onto the waiting vehicles and they exited the carpark.
I waited stretched a little in the car seat and adjusted the knife behind my back to make the drive back home more bearable.
20th June 2013
Thursday
4am
I spent the next few days repeating the routine of a typical office worker.
A consultant so to speak.
I went to work at 8, clock in normal hours and leave work at 6pm.
Billy would be there on most days, either playing games on his computer or surfing the web with his screen orientated away from me with his headphones on.
I wanted to tell him to always check the reflective surfaces around him but I did not want to burst his cover. He looked all serious, with a finger to his mouth as if he were deep in thought going through work stuff.
The reflection on the window 2 panels down though clearly showed a woman on her knees surrounded by men while they were in a hotspring spa.
I went to the café everyday, I don’t take all my meals there but I made it a point to head there for coffee 3 times a day.
Once when I get in, once after lunch and one during tea break at about 4pm.
Within a week, I no longer need to place any orders. Lala had committed my routine to his memory and before I could get within 3 meters of the café, he has a cup of piping hot coffee waiting for me.
Xuehua will always be there during lunch, thereafter she will head off presumably for her class. Other than a polite greeting and a smile, we did not really interact and it’s for good reason.
You see, for someone as hot and pretty as Xuehua, she has no lack of suitors and admirers, many of them from the office building itself.
Within that short week or so of my new routine, I counted no less than 9 guys attempting to strike a conversation with her, and this is just during the time when I’m there. Eddy will be there watching and scrutinising each of the man talking to Xuehua with his large knife in hand.
If his bushy eyebrow is not intimating enough, the jingle of the steel bracelet around his wrist when he brings the cleaver down onto the wooden chopping board is enough to send a message across.
He would blatantly ask the men to fuck off if they are done ordering and not hold up the queue. Xuehua on the other hand, would just smile and decline each of their advances.
I even see flowers being sent to the stall, only to end up in the bin before the stall closes at the end of the day.
I tried to get a glimpse of the profile of the men that Xuehua rejects and see if I stood a chance. It’s my job to read people.
From well dressed, respectable gentlemen, to the bad boy wanna be, even a rich chap who proudly slap his car keys on the table, announcing to the whole café he drives a Lamborghini , they were all rejected.
Some of the men are pretty good looking too, Korean like hunks, boyish boyband looks, Andy lau matured man style uncles, all shape and sizes, all failed.
Xuehua is simple not interested in getting to know them beyond what they want for their lunch. Come to think of it, I must be one of the few that managed to go beyond a lunch order with her, at the expenses of having my nipples abused that is.
The more I secretly look at Xuehua, the more I felt I was infatuated with her. Not purely in a lustful way, but more of curiosity.
I want to know more about her. With time on my hands and skills that I should not be using for shit like this, I decided to challenge myself since I’m bored.
I got to the office at 4am that morning and waited a little impatiently for Leng, the security guard to activate the barrier of the carpark. He waved to me and I gave him a friendly smile.
I want to quickly get settled into position to wait for Xuehua. She says she runs every morning. I want to catch her on her run without her knowing. I want to know where she stays.
I was dressed for the job as well, in black running gear. Leng took his time, gesturing to the barrier arm of the gantry. It breaks down so often, I wonder why it’s not being replaced.
The barrier arm is held up with a mish mash of contraptions, from ropes, to wire ties. Seems to me there must be a lot of lousy drivers working in that building. The reflective stickers on the arm are peeling off at several locations and the arm drops further than intended at the free side.
I tapped my fingers on the wheel as Leng tinkered with the barrier before it came up.
I gave him a thumbs up as he nodded as if he just woke up from his sleep, sipping on a bag of coffee while keeping 1 finger on the control that raises the barrier.
I parked my car and sprung into action, pulling my cap low to hide part of my face.
Heading out into the street, I checked to make sure the coast is clear before scaling up the back of a shophouse unit and onto the flat room where the aircon compressors are standing.
It’s dark, the hum of the compressors droned on lazily. I checked the time on my watch and waited.
I remembered bumping into Xuehua around 5am previously. From where I’m positioned, I can get a good vantage view of the entrance of the office building.
The lights of the café came on and I could see Lala stretching his massive arms before stepping into the stall.
5am
Xuehua appeared right on time. 5am man. The amount of discipline she must have to keep this up. Most girls would still be deep in lala land. Dressed in a neon pink singlet and black running tights, Xuehua entered the café and took a bottle of water from Lala.
I held my breath and sank deeper into the shadows as Xuehua stepped out into the cool breeze. I felt a stir in my privates as I look at her body. Her hairless armpits presented itself to me once again, a sudden pain in my groin confirms that my erection is pushing hard against my pants.
She checked to make sure the streets are free of cars before starting off on a brisk walk right below me.
She brisk walked for about 10 minutes up and down the 100m alley several times before breaking into a run. She turned left after reaching the end and I clamoured down the roof after her.
I cut into an alley of my left as well, mirroring a parallel path and I broke into a run.
Every junction I would pause and check to see if Xuehua is passing by.
I missed her at the 1st 2 junction and I was pretty sure I had lost her until I got to the 3rd junction and I saw her jog past about 50m away.
I continued mirroring her path until she finally turned left and started running towards me. I backtracked and let her pass before catching up on a parallel road.
I lost her and caught up with her another couple more times. I reckon she must have gone around the entire Little India district 5 times, picking up the pace each time she goes past the starting point where the office is.
Finally she slowed to a jog before walking towards a block of flats at Rowell road.
I kept a distance from her as I pretended to be your average jogger minding his own business. Xuehua stopped at a lift lobby and finished up her bottle of water. She called for the lift and entered.
I jogged briskly over and checked out the control panel.
It stopped at level 12.
I took the next lift and went up to level 11.
I paused and kept my ears open before stepping out.
It’s coming to 6am in the morning. Some households are getting tot start their day but generally it’s still pretty quiet.
I saw a wall of mist falling in front of me and the distinctive sound from the spray of a squeeze bottle.
Someone is watering their plants 1 floor above me.
I took a cautious peek out, looking at the corridor above me, there are no signs of Xuehua. There is a slim chance that the person doing the watering is her.
I held my breathe and walked as quietly as I can to the staircase and scaled it 2 steps at a time, stopping at the mid landing. My heart immediately skipped a beat as I saw the backview of Xuehua.
My cock pushed against my running shorts as I watch her bend over, her posture in the perfect doggy position as she tended to a pot of herbs she grown.
The door to her place is opened. Now I know her address.
She straightened her back and I quickly backed away down the steps. There was a bit of shuffling sound as she walked about before the snap of the metal gate.
This is sick but I enjoyed it. The perverse idea of stalking turns me on in so many ways.
I did a quick visual check and was disappointed that there are not laundry poles outside the house. Not a surprise, this neighbourhood is hardly safe to leave your things lying about.
I looked at the floor and steps I was standing on. It was littered with cigarette butts and there are drinks cans lying around.
Perhaps I’m not the only one stalking Xuehua.
I was about to head off when I heard the lift beeping to announce the arrival of the car on the 11th floor.
I froze for a second before quickly backing up the steps to level 12, praying that Xuehua don’t appear in the corridor out of the blue.
I never expected to see the figure of a man appearing at the steps shortly after. My heartbeat increased and I quickly backed up another flight of steps and observed what this man is up to.
He looked to be in his late twenties and he had shoulder length hair much like what Chen Han wei ( local celebrity ) looked like in the 1990s.
From where he is directing his eyes, I have no doubt he too came here for Xuehua.
I quickly checked the floor above me, this will be awkward if I bump into fellow stalkers.
I heard the soft slap of his slippers and I quickly scurried up another flight.
From the sound, I am pretty sure he is now outside Xuehua’s unit. Perhaps he is someone she knows after all, but why would he choose to take the lift to 1 floor below ?
Barely a few seconds later, I heard the sound of his slippers at the flight of steps below me again.
I heard the scratch of a lighter and I could smell the cigarette smoke. So he’s the one smoking outside Xuehua’s place it seems.
He must be up to something.
I went up a couple more flights of stairs and prepared to make my entry.
My intention is to head down the steps really fast, making enough sound to show that I’m not sneaking around, merely a resident trying to get fit using the steps.
I started skipping down the steps 3 at a time, my shoes tapping loudly on the concrete steps.
There was no time for the man to react.
By the time I saw him, it was too late for him to try and hide that pair of running shoes Xuehua was wearing.
He tried to put it behind his back but 1 of it dropped with a piece of accompanying sock.
I pretended not to notice and continued my way down. He must have had quite a shock as he dropped his cigarette shortly after. That fuck. He picked a good timing.
Early in the morning, residents hardly up and about, Xuehua would be likely in the shower after her run. He could have his fun with her shoes and socks before replacing them before she even realised they were gone.
It’s a old pair of running shoes with sweaty socks, she would have never guessed it would be a hot commodity among horny men.
I continued my way down to level 1 before slowly jogging back to office through the carpark.
Well, it’s a good workout.
Now I know not only Xuehua’s address, I also know there are more than 1 pervert lusting after her if I included myself to the list.
I took a shower before getting changed into my work clothes.
At 8am, I saw Xuehua appear at the café. Her hair cascaded beautifully down her back as she gave me a warm smile.
Her simple t-shirt and shorts combination really brings out the perfect tertiary student look. Her slightly discoloured flip flops only drew more attention to her flawless and smooth feet.
She had a light grey cardigan on as she briefly spoke to Lala with a A3 art folio in her hands.
I could picture her sitting somewhere, her pencil tracing the outline of her subject.
There is just something so romantic about that scene I cannot describe.
She saw me staring at her and I quickly looked away.
Xuehua made her way over and I could smell her fragrance the minute she came close.
Xuehua : hey…. Morning…
Jeff : Hi…. Morning….
She sat down in front of me and gestured to Lala for a drink. I find it hard to look at her in her face as I started stirring my coffee.
She seemed to be able to read my mind and asked me the questions I wished she hadn’t
Xuehua : do you ermm…. Not like looking at the people you talk to ? hahaha…
Jeff : me ? … no… no… I ermm.. of course not… haha…
I gave her an awkward smile as I could not help looking over to Eddy who happen to be sharpening his knife on a stone.
Xuehua : ok…. You keep averting your eyes from me…
Jeff : is it ? … no… I ermm… hahah…. I didn’t realise that…. Hahah…
Lala brought Xuehua her drinks and I tried to make some conversation. Gesturing to her A3 sketch book, I asked her what does she draw.
Jeff : You…. Ermm… like to draw ? …. What do you draw ?
Xuehua : everything…. Everything that looks nice to me.. haha.. want to see ? haha
Jeff : sure…
The moment Xuehua flipped over the 1st page of her folio, I was blown away by how beautiful the sketch is. It’s a sketch of the neighbourhood, of the typical alleyway in little India.
Jeff : wow….
I stared at the sketch without moving and Xuehua asked me what I thought about it.
There is so much depth and detail to the drawing. Besides capturing the buildings, Xuehua also drew the people and what they are doing. It’s so life like and 3 dimensional that I could almost feel myself getting sucked into the picture.
Jeff : wow… this… this is amazing …
Xuehua : hahah really ? … you’re just patronising me…hahah
Jeff : no… no… of course not… this …. This is so nice… I’ll never be able to draw like that….
Xuehua looked like she was above to close the folio but she stopped when she realised I was still looking at it intently. I was really impressed by that sketch. This is something you cannot fake.
It’s fucking beautiful.
I’m sure Xuehua could tell I’m not just saying it because it’s polite to say so.
Jeff : this is amazing man…. Wow….
All girls like to be complimented, some like it to be base on their looks and appearance and at that moment, I realised for Xuehua, she very much preferred attention to be given to what she can do rather than her appearances.
I could not resist asking her if I could see more.
Jeff : Can i…. can I flip ?
Xuehua handed the folio to me with a smile and asked me to go ahead.
Xuehua : sure… hahah…
Page after page I flipped and I was really fucking impressed by the 10th page. It felt like I was teleporting from location to location.
From the bustle of Chinatown, to the tranquility of a nature reserve. It was all there.
Every stroke of her pencil, every dash of shadow.
Xuehua : you really think it’s nice ? hahaha
Jeff : of course !! ..
I looked at her with my eye wide open and asked if the drawings are for sale.
Xuehua : hahah… are you serious ahhaa ? no one has asked me that before…
Jeff : of course I am serious !…
Xuehua squinted her eyes at me for a moment before asking me how much do I think her drawings are worth.
Jeff : they’re priceless….. but I can afford to pay 1000 for this….
I pointed to a sketch of the Singapore skyline she did.
Xuehua : wah… hahaha….. you must be doing pretty well as a consultant to offer such price hahaha…
Jeff : I’m serious !… I would pay more if…
Xuehua took over the folio and said she is just joking. The drawings are not for sale.
Xuehua : just kidding… these are not for sale hahah… it’s my own collection….
Jeff : oh… I see… haha…
I was about to extend the conversation when I saw Billy entering the lobby. He gave me a look before directly his eyes upwards, indicating that I need to head up to the office.
Shortly after, I saw Owen enter the building with a bottle of Whisky in his hands. He did not look at me but I am sure he saw me talking to Xuehua.
Xuehua : hey… Jeff…
Jeff : yes …. Yes ??
Xuehua : you seemed distracted….
She turned around to see what I was looking at.
Jeff : nothing… nothing… a colleague gestured to me…. Probably work matters…
Xuehua : oh… you need to go ?
I was reluctant to leave the table but Owen coming here could only mean work.
Jeff : ermmm..well… yeah…i…… erm…. i…..errmmm… i…
Xuehua looked at me with a smile on her face, waiting for me to spit out what I want to say.
She probably has an idea of what I want.
A date.
A coffee.
A movie.
These are what guys ask for right.
I could see her keeping her folio, getting ready for a polite rejection as she looked down at her coffee but I’m not your average guy.
I want more than a coffee date and a movie.
Xuehua : yes ? … what is it ? … hahaha….
Jeff : can you draw me ?
Xuehua’s eyes lit up for a moment and I could see she was shocked. She probably expected me to say oh hi, maybe we should do coffee again, or I want to buy her dinner and look at her folio but no.
She did not expect this.
Xuehua : wow… hahahha….i did not expect this.. hahaha… you’re serious ? haha
I nodded.
Xuehua : wow… this is one of the best pick up line anyone has ever used on me… hahaha…
Jeff : what makes you think I’m trying to pick you up ?
Xuehua smiled and gave me a look from the corner of her eye.
Xuehua : because I read minds…. Hahha.
It was a tensed 30 seconds as she looked at me while I said nothing. I could see she was considering what I asked.
Xuehua : I’ll draw you on one condition….
Jeff : what ?
Xuehua : tell me what were you thinking of when you asked me to draw you….. be honest !! hahaha ..
I told her the 1st thing that came to my mind was the scene in titanic when Jack was drawing Rose.
Xuehua laughed so hard that Eddy looked over. I turned and I could see Eddy now sharpening his knife with the block in his hand more vigorously.
Xuehua : but you can’t draw hahah….
Jeff : but you can…
Xuehua laughed and shook her head, clearly amused with my request.
Jeff : I’m… I’m not suggesting we do something like that you know… I ermm…
Xuehua chuckled and said ok.
Xuehua : ok…. I’ll draw you… hahaha… but it will be something….. casual…candid…when you are not expecting it….. that’s the only way you can capture the essence of that moment…. Haha..
Jeff : ok…sure… haha…
Her eyes lingered a second longer on me before she gets up with her folio.
Xuehua : see you Jeff… hahaha…
I finished my drink and went up to office with a smile on my face.
Billy : Happy… happy…. Eh….
Owen : don’t shit where you eat Jeff….. I’ve said all I can say about things like this…
Jeff : don’t worry…. All is good…
Owen opened the bottle of whisky, a 12 year old this time. The standard for a straightforward project and poured each of us a glass.
Billy : Something interesting ?
Billy pointed to the folder Owen’s arm is resting on.
Owen : yes….
Jeff : come…. Let’s hear it…..
Owen opened the folder and pushed across the documents. The expressions on both Billy and my face changed, growing solemn immediately as we tried to make sense of what is in front of us.
I looked back up at Owen and he nodded his head in confirmation.
Owen : Yes……
The words came out softly from Billy’s mouth as if he too could not believe what he was seeing.
Number 17 in terms of project ranking.
Billy : One of ours….
…………………………………………………
Jeff : Why ? …..
I looked at Owen and waited for his reply. There must be a good reason for this.
There must be.
A shit load of things is going through my head at that moment and I have a feeling you might have guessed a couple of my thoughts as well.
Billy looked at the documents on the table and the one in his hands, no doubt trying to figure out what this is about.
Owen sipped his drink and looked at the documents through the glass of drink. He looked tired, as if he hasn’t slept in days.
His answer will pretty much determine my next course of action.
I trust Owen, to a certain degree that is.
He brought me into this shit, we go way back and all but end of the day, I am very clear as to what I am getting myself into.
If things go wrong, it’s every man for himself. He taught me that too. He taught me that the very first time he handed me my bonus for the project.
Shit will go wrong one day.
It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.
This man.
The one whose photo I’m staring at, is a colleague of mine in a way. I don’t know him, I have never met him but he works for the same organisation. He receives the same training probably.
He works for Owen too.
The idea of getting rid of a colleague is unsettling.
If I get a whiff of Owen getting rid of people once they have outlived their usefulness, I’m gone. I may work for him but I’m not someone you use to get rid of people that fight for the same flag.
How could he ask me to do this ?
If it’s really about making people that is not longer useful disappear, I’ll bolt.
I’ll vanish.
I shit you not, I am packed and ready to go. I don’t care.
I cannot afford to care. If this is happening to number 17, one day it will be my turn. I can almost picture Owen having the same conversation with a different team, a different colleague.
Telling them that I have outlived my usefulness, that I need to retire.
I can disappear from the island within 12 hours and no one will know. I can leave everything behind in a heartbeat, my car, my house, my bank account, everything. This is the very reason why you keep your stash all over, not just in Singapore.
You think I walked away with just the Belt and a holster after meeting the Iranian and North Korean that faithful day ?
Of course not.
When the opportunity comes knocking for you to make friends, you jolly well make them. You never know when you will need their help.
1 week after that meeting I went to the North Korean embassy.
The guard asked me what I want and I showed him the belt I received from the guy on the boat. 10 minutes later I was drinking with Min Joon at a patio within the embassy grounds after giving him a gift I prepared.
I left 30 minutes later with an email address. We kept in touch regularly since then doing each other small favours here and there.
1 month later, I was having tea with Hamid at a café 2 streets away from his office.
Iran do not have an official embassy in Singapore yet but they have multiple operations offices and safe houses on the island.
6 months later, Hamid , Min Joon and I gathered for the 1st time for dinner. It was a potluck gathering in a section of the quarry in Pulau Ubin. By potluck I meant sandwiches and water.
We communicated with broken English, using gestures whenever their limited vocabulary cannot express what they want to say.
None of our employers knew about this little gathering and we are happy to keep it that way.
Some cards you keep close to your chest until the final hand.
Jeff : why ??
I repeated the question as Owen drained the whisky in his glass and poured himself another 2 fingers of it.
Billy : are you serious with this ??
Billy waved the picture in front of Owen as we all waited for his explanation.
Owen looked distressed, and he finished the 2nd glass of drink quickly. It’s not hard to see he has a lot on his mind.
Setting it down, he tried to reach for the bottle again but I stopped him
Jeff : That bottle is meant for me no ?? what is this shit about ?? we taking out co workers now ?? is it ?
Owen wiped the remnants of the drink from above his lips and composed himself. I could see he was trying to pick the right words to use.
He knew how sensitive this situation is.
Owen : Yes… he’s one of us…. Number 17….. callsign …… Gshock…..
Jeff : why ? … you haven answered my question…
Owen looked at me and answered immediately.
Owen : He went rouge ….. he defied orders…. He’s a fucking cowboy now…. Running wild….
Billy immediately added, asking if the audit team has gone through the documents and evidence presented.
Owen revealed another stack of document. The audit team has verified all the facts and have given the green light.
All documents are in order.
Owen : I know how this sounds…. It sucks…. It really sucks…. But I have no choice… I cannot afford to let someone like him run around unchecked….
Jeff : Can we bring him back ? as in…. is there a need to kill him ?? … have you had a chance to talk to him ?
Owen exhaled as if I was overstepping my limits. You can’t blame me. I deserve to know.
Would you not have asked the same question if you are placed in the same situation? Surely the employee deserves a chance to explain himself.
Owen : I’ll go straight to the point…. Gshock… also known as Clement. ….. is an operative just like you….. he handles some of the organisation’s business… that generate much needed cashflow…. But he fucked up….he fucked up big time….
Jeff : what did he do ? ?? money… he lost money ?? are you fucking removing employees because of this….
Owen : Shut the fuck up Jeff….. and listen….. He killed someone..
Jeff : That’s our job brother…. You trained us to do this…
Owen : a 12 year old girl…..
The room went quiet. I could feel my body temperature starting to heat up. I was shaking. I waited for Owen to continue.
I prayed he would tell me that he did not make a 12 year old Clement’s target.
Billy saved me the agony of the wait and asked Owen right away.
Billy : Is that girl a target ??
Owen : No…. let me finish…. Don’t interrupt me again…
Owen grabbed the bottle from my hands and poured himself more alcohol. His eyes were starting to get bloodshot. I could see he was angry.
Angry that it had to come to this.
Owen : Clement has dropped off the radar since 3 weeks ago….we flagged him when we realised he had done something behind our back….
Owen told Billy and I that Clement had killed that 12 year old girl for her organs.
Owen : the organ trade is booming in Asia and unknown to many, Singapore is a thriving hub for organ transplant. …. Many of which happens under the table….
Clement runs several private clinics that were entrusted to him by the company. The main clienteles are VVIPs and politically connected people including royalties. It’s a good cash cow arranging for these people to come into the country unnoticed and away from the prying eyes of the media.
They come here for the usual medical procedures, but unlike private hospitals, the clinics Clement managed offers much more.
Personalised protection, private flights, a large premium is charged, making the company the funds needed to continue our operations.
It doesn’t matter if you are a disposed dictator or an ousted premier in another country.
You pay, Clement does the rest. All away from the prying eyes of the media and even your own government.
Yes and the clinics has their own team of specialist to handle the transplant of organs.
Owen : The clinics perform the transplant, but we don’t provide the organs…..the clients usually procure their own…… they are brought in… by their own doctors…. We don’t ask questions……it has always been this way…… But in this case…Clement…. Stepped out of line….
It was made known to us that Clement murdered the 12 year old girl because her organs are a match to that of a VVIP kid that is 1 year older.
Owen : It’s a rare blood type . B- negative…. Only 1.5% of the earth’s population has it…. rarer still to find a ready target within reach that Clement has access to…. The money being offered is enough to make him sacrifice the girl…
Jeff : What the fuck…..
Owen : He took her kidneys, and heart….
The room descended into an uncomfortable silence.
This is fuck up.
Jeff : are you….. serious??
Owen : I have been trying to find him…..he’s gone underground… but I am very sure he is still in Singapore….. the VIP in question is also in Singapore….
Billy : Then why are you here ? ….fucking beat it out of them !!! where the fuck is this fucker… !! take the organs back from that privilege fuck !!..
Owen : That kid doesn’t know !!… he’s royalty….. son of a sultan…. Of a powerful country…..in case you forget your geography….. we are fucking surrounded by countries with Sultans…. With oil… money…. Power…..!!
Jeff : Then the parents must know…
Owen: Oh…. Really… what ? …. You going to hit a member of the royal family ?? fuck off…. There’s geopolitical relationships at stake here…
Jeff : Do I look like I care about politics….
Owen : I’m not done with the briefing…. This is a special situation….I need you guys to understand what is at stake…
Owen said that the girl that was murdered has a twin sister.
Owen : Gwen is born 10 minutes after her sister Gillian…. Both of them are orphans….. they stay in a church managed orphanage…..where the clinics that Clement managed are the main sponsors….. from money to medical services….
Gillian’s body has been retrieved, cremated and laid to rest.
Now this problem is Gwen.
Gwen has the same blood type and compatibility of organs as her sister.
Owen : It has come to our attention that the VIP’s body is showing signs of rejection for the kidney that Clement took form Gillian….. and we have credible information that Clement will be coming for Gwen….
Jeff : fuck off…..
Owen : He will not stop……. He will see this through….
Billy : Where is Gwen now ?
Owen : At the church…. I have 5 men watching her…..but I will be withdrawing them soon…. I have them there for the past 3 weeks….. I can’t keep them there any longer….
Jeff : what… ? please don’t tell me this is some budget shit…. You don’t have money to keep the men there to protect that little girl ?!!!
Owen shook his head.
His eyes.
His eyes betrayed his thoughts immediately.
I slammed my hand onto the table, causing Billy to jump in his seat.
I pointed a finger at Owen as I stood up, unwilling to believe the conclusion I had come to in my head before Owen said it.
He knew I caught on yet he remained quiet.
He did not want to say it.
Billy : woah.. woah… what ?? .. what is going on man… chill…. What’s happening…. I’m not following….
I looked at Owen who maintained a neutral look. He had regained his composure, perhaps the alcohol earlier helped.
His eyes never left mine as I shook my pointed index finger at him, as if I’m reprimanding him for something.
Jeff : how could you even think of this… ?
Billy looked on, puzzled as to what I am trying to get at.
Jeff : You want to use Gwen as bait…. To draw Clement out….
Billy’s eyes widened as he took a step back, unsure of what to say.
Owen poured himself more drinks and he said I got half of it correct.
Owen : Yes…. I’m using her as bait….but….the men….. the men protecting her…. I was ordered to let them go…
Jeff : What the fuck do you mean ? are you serious ??!!
Owen’s eyes closed and I could see him composure finally crumbling down. He’s on the verge of snapping.
Owen : what would you have me do ??? !!
His arms tightened, his fingers closed and curled up like claws, facing each other in front of him ad if he was trying to concentrate an energy ball towards me. His face was scrunched up and he was grinning down on his teeth.
The pressure on him must be huge.
Owen : I …….. am trying to keep this shit together…….. do you have any idea how hard it is for me to do my job… !!! on one hand I have to face the politicians, on the other hand…. I’m managing ….. people that can snap anytime, slaughtering innocent bystanders …!!
He took a deep breath and I looked at his blood shot eyes.
Owen : This is the only way…. The last thing I need is him trying to grab some other kid ….. at least we know he has a target….. do you accept this project ? …..
Jeff : Owen !!.. that girl is 12 for fuck sake… !!
Owen : Should you wish to accept this project …..
Jeff : She is 12 !!
Owen :It is my duty to remind you that if you are caught…. The organisation will not…
Jeff : Are you fucking listening to me !!
Owen : will not be responsible for your actions…
Jeff : Owen !!
I shouted at Owen for the first time ever and he stopped talking. Billy has a hand up in front of me trying to calm me down.
My blood was already boiling when I knew someone killed a girl for her organs, now my boss wants me to use that girl’s sister as bait.
Owen : I want to state for the record that….. the target is Clement… codename Gshock….get him…. At all cost…. If Gwen is going to lead us to him…. Use her…
I could not believe what I was hearing from Owen.
Jeff : Are you even listening to yourself Owen ?
Owen : WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO !!!
He finally snapped back at me.
Owen : Clement will not stop….he will not stop…..if he can’t get Gwen… he will try to get others….. he will get anyone…. Any one !!! that he thinks might be a match….you hear me ! ?? what would you have me do !!??
The shouting silenced the entire office as we stared at each other.
Billy’s eyes alternated between each of us, unsure of which side to take.
Billy : Come on guys… calm down…. Jeff… don’t take this…..leave it to the others….
Owen looked away first and I could see his shoulders slouched.
There is something else he is not telling us.
He’s keeping something.
I could see it. He’s deliberating whether to let it slip from his tongue.
When Owen finally spoke, he wiped the perspiration from the top of his lips.
Owen : I….. I have 2 sets of orders…..1 is for my ears only…
He looked at Billy and me before saying that he will not force us to take up the project.
Owen : As per the audit team’s approval…… Clement must die….
Jeff : What is the other order….
Owen : If Clement gets his hands on Gwen before you stop him……. we are not to intervene…. The VIP will get his organs…. And you take care of Clement after that….
Jeff : Fuck you…..
Billy : wait… wait… so if we get Clement before he gets Gwen… then it’s all good right ?? .. it’ll all be good right?? There’s still a way around this….
Owen shook his head.
Owen : If you get Clement before he strikes….. Gwen… will still be delivered to the VIP’s doctor.
I shook my head and swept the bottle of whisky off the table and across the room
I could not believe what I was hearing.
Owen : We’re running out of time…. My men will leave Gwen in 4 hours….. regardless whether you accept this project..
I wanted to speak but nothing came out of my mouth.
I was totally speechless.
Owen looked away for a moment. Billy was just staring at the table of documents in front of us.
Jeff : Why me ? … you knew I would not agree to this…..there’s no way I would give Gwen up if I take this project….
Owen replied almost immediately, as if he knew what I was going to say.
Owen : because you have more empathy …… then the rest of the men working for me….
Billy went on to pick up the bottle and glasses on the floor.
Owen : I have no doubt you can take care of Clement…..and you will surely have a way with Gwen….
Jeff : What if Gwen dies before she gets to the VIP ? hypothetically …..
Owen shrugged his shoulders.
Owen : Shit happens right ? ….. there’s no telling what Clement will do… if Gwen dies…. During the confrontation…. I would have no one to deliver to the VIP…
I saw the twinkle in his eyes and I finally understood his intention.
He knew I would not follow his orders blindly.
Owen : if you refuse…. I’ll go down the line… someone will accept this project….
I looked at Owen and I considered my options.
Billy’s attention was on me, he was wiping his palms on the side of his pants.
Owen : don’t feel bad to say no… its your right…. If you are not taking this up…. I’ll go to the butcher…..
Bastard. He’s just out to antagonise me.
Owen : Or the Gourmet ….
I could feel the shiver in my spine as Owen went on, rattling off the callsigns of the colleagues ranking right below me.
Owen : Socket….
Jeff : enough…..
Owen : Iron….
Jeff : I said enough !!..
The callsigns of the men would have offered a glimpse to their capabilities and their methods.
I have no doubt Clement will be dead soon, but I seriously doubt Gwen’s fate would be pleasant in the hands of these men.
Jeff : I accept….
Billy chirped in immediately after me.
Billy : me too…
I immediately saw Owen heave a discreet sigh of relieve as he settled back into his chair.
That wily old fox.
He wanted me to do this. To get me riled up.
Owen : I gave the orders as per the audit teams approval…… as for what you do ….. it is beyond my control….. nor will I be responsible…..
Jeff : How typical of civil servant….. covering their own backsides even before it begins…
Owen : I’ve said all I could… your cover is that of a social worker…. I’ve made the arrangements…. You will report to Mandy at the Orphanage tomorrow at 9am….
Jeff : Tomorrow ? but you are pulling out your men this evening….
Owen : Yes…. Something that I’m not suppose to share….. do what you want with the information….. it’s beyond my control….
Owen pulled out a vibrating phone and walked away to answer it.
Billy looked at me, waiting for me to say something.
The Orphanage is in Punggol.
4 hours, there’s still time.
Billy : Now what ?
Jeff : I need to head to the pawn shop….
Billy and I went to make a withdrawal at the pawn shop, I packed a knife, first aid kit and I emptied the cash box I kept. It’s not a lot, probably about 12k in various denominations.
As I directed Billy to a temple in Sengkang, I closed my eyes and tried to think of a way to get Gwen out of the country.
She’s too young to be on her own and I don’t know where else to send her. I can keep her hidden for a while definitely, maybe bring her to a Kelong operated by a friend of mine. Then when the opportunity arises, get her out of the country. I don’t know.
Or perhaps I can fake her death ? Impossible.
They would want to see a body.
This is some fuck up project.
As Billy pulled up to the temple, he asked if I was going to pray.
Jeff : it’s too late to pray….wait here for me….
I walked into the temple and right past the caretaker into the back room meant for staff.
The old man manning the room told me that place is off limits.
I went to his wooden abacus on his desk and rearranged the beads in the right order without a word.
He checked the inputs before pulling out a wooden case from the wall and left me alone.
Opening the case, I took out another 15k in cash. It’s not going to be cheap to buy a passage off the island for Gwen, not to mention the money she will need to survive.
I checked the time.
1 pm
1 more hour before Owen’s men leave.
I got into Billy’s van and we headed over to the Orphanage in Punggol a 10 minutes’ drive away. We parked at the multi storey carpark opposite the church and Billy launched a a small drone into the air.
Within seconds the drone sent back an aerial view of the church.
I could see the 2 vehicles parked in the compound. A couple of Owen’s men are milling about.
I’m not supposed to show my face in the church till 9am the next day.
A lot could happen between now and then.
2pm
Right on time, Owen’s men loaded into the vehicles and they drove out of the church.
I told Billy I’m going to head down and check out the perimeter.
I pulled a cap low and walked slowly towards the church.
I took a glance through the main gate and I caught a glimpse of Gwen. I recognised her from the pictures.
She was just sitting at the patio, staring blankly into the air. Her legs dangled lifelessly off the bench. It was a heartbreaking sight to take in.
Imagine losing the only kin you have left in the world. Your sister.
She’s still so young.
I saw another lady come out into the patio. A sweet looking girl next door.
She put a hand on Gwen’s shoulder and spoke to her.
I walked past the gate, not wanting to arouse any suspicion.
I trek around the perimeter of the church, security is non-existent.
There are no cameras and the walls are low. Anyone can climb over the walls into the compound if they wanted. Well, this is Singapore after all, who would want to trespass into a church ?
I was completing the loop around the perimeter when I received a call from Billy.
Jeff : Yeah ?
Billy : Grey Toyota…. Passing you in 5 seconds….
I kept my head forward and walked on casually.
A few seconds later, the car came into view. It cruised along a little slowly, making a turn and going past the main gate of the church. It’s windows are tinted, definitely against regulations.
Billy : that’s the 2nd pass….
Jeff : any other beside this ?
Billy : No….
I did not want to go pass the main gate again in case I get recognised so I crossed the road and settled myself down at a coffeeshop, picking a table that gives me an unblocked view of the compound from the main gate.
The gate is shut, I doubt Clement would be that dumb to try anything in broad daylight.
Billy text me that the Toyota made a 3rd pass and it’s gone.
I took a sip of the coffee and shook my head. It’s terrible.
Seems like the rumours are true.
Punggol has terrible food and coffee. One of the worst places in Singapore to get a meal.
Rent is high, food is terrible.
I lifted the cup to take another sip of coffee and I felt the hair at the back of my neck stood on it’s end.
Goosebumps rippled down my spine and my heartbeat increased.
I could feel the rush of endorphins and the tingle of an erection setting in.
My fingers trembled for a brief second as the muscles on my body tensed up. I could feel myself biting down on my teeth.
A man had just sat down with a bowl of noodles 2 tables away from me.
He orientated himself the same manner I did, towards the gate of the church.
His eyes scanned the immediate surroundings, taking in everyone at the coffee shop including what they are doing.
I could not move in time, he saw me looking towards the road and in the general direction of the Church.
Our eyes did not meet but I knew he is paying attention to me.
I continued sipping my coffee and I dropped Billy a text to pick me up in his Van by the side of the road.
Instead of shying away from my current line of sight, I continued looking at the road, making no attempt to change my attention to something else.
The man ate his noodles, his pair of shades rest at a strategic position on the table. The reflection from the glasses gave him a wider range of view even though he’s looking at only one direction.
At moments like this, the hardest thing to control would be your emotions.
The anger seething inside you threatening to derail everything out of control.
Billy’s van appeared a few minutes later and I stood up and gave the van a wave as I finished the disgusting coffee.
I hopped onto the van, looking like any other tradesman or contractor prowling the growing estate.
Billy put the van into drive and I looked at the side mirror towards the coffee shop.
At the same man slurping his noodles looking at the church.
Billy : What’s happening ? …
I replied Billy with only one word.
Jeff : Clement…
…………………………………..
Billy : he’s already here ! ?
Jeff : he probably knows Owen’s men are gone…
Billy : Then how ?
Jeff : He can’t march in and just grab a girl in broad daylight…. But we can be sure he is planning something….
I directed Billy to another estate on the other side of the Church.
I don’t want the Van to make a 2nd appearance along the same street. Clement might flag us.
Jeff : I think we cannot wait till tomorrow…. We need to go into the church now…
Billy : ehhh… you’re suppose to be in there tomorrow morning….
Jeff ; Think of something….
Billy : ermmm… walk in and pray ??
I turned and looked at Billy. That is a fucking good idea.
Jeff : Why didn’t I think of that ?!
Billy : You can’t be serious…you would be showing yourself to Mandy even before you met her tomorrow….
Jeff : Doesn’t matter… I can always say I’m here to check out my new work place….
Billy : no no… no… wait… please… think it through…this doesn’t feel right….. what if Clement sees you walking in ?
Jeff : What is wrong with someone going in to pray….?
Billy : Well…. I ermm… I don’t know…. Are you Christian ?
Jeff : is it written on my head that I’m not ??
Billy : but…
Our conversation was suddenly interrupted by a loud crash and the painful screech of tyres on the road.
WHAM!!!!
It sounded like someone just smashed their car against the wall just down the street. I could hear horns sounding.
I got out of Billy’s van and looked towards the direction of the sound.
It’s the church.
There’s been an accident.
I started to run.
As the entrance of the Church came into view, I could see people gathering at gate along with the car.
That same Toyota had smashed itself into the gate of the church, wrecking it’s front and badly mangling the steel. One side of the gate was totally dislodged, the other barely hanging by the hinges.
A few motorists had stopped their car to help.
Billy caught up with me, panting for air as we looked at the scene o the accident.
People had started to gather to watch the commotion.
Some of them had their camera phones up, taking a video of the incident to share with their friends. I nudged Billy a little to cover my body as I looked towards the coffee shop. Clement is still there.
He had finished his noodles and is now taking in the scene while sipping on his coffee.
Everyone at the coffee shop were pointing and talking about the crash.
Within minutes, the police and the ambulance arrived.
People started commenting about what happened. A man with blonde hair was sitting on the floor, he was laughing. A old man pointed his finger at him as if he was giving the man a lecture.
I kept my attention on Clement.
This was no accident.
He destroyed the gate on purpose.
Without the gate, it would give him free access into the church compound right up to the main door. It’s going to be a walk in the park to just drive in, surprise the hell out of everyone and grab Gwen from the courtyard or patio.
A middle age couple crossed the road, coming towards Billy and I. Like many others, they were watching the incident but from up close.
I gave them a warm smile and a nod of my head and asked like a concerned neighbour.
Jeff : Very jia lat leh…. Knock until like that…..
Uncle : Ai yah….. that one young man…. Confirm take drugs one….. knock already still can ya ya papaya….. really bastard this kind… lucky he never hit anyone….
Auntie : God’s mercy…. His gate stopped him…. Amen….
I gave them a wave and checked on Clement. He was still there, eyes on the gate.
The people started to disperse after about 30 minutes and Billy and I retreated as well.
The scary efficiency of Singapore demonstrated itself right before our eyes as the accident scene was cleared within the hour. Only the badly mangled gates of the church remained.
The lady I saw earlier is in the courtyard talking to a civil defence officer.
With some help from the officers and their power tools, the gate of the church has been removed and neatly stacked by the side of the courtyard. They even placed some tape around it.
Jeff : This is it…. Fuck it… I’m going in…
Billy : wait… Jeff !… wait.. !!
Billy tried to hold me back but I shrugged him off. Instead of going to the front gate, I went along the pedestrian path leading to the housing estate beside the church. I entered from the side gate and took in the church.
A gentle gust of wind hit me, as if I just stepped into the middle of a wind tunnel.
Surrounded by tall residential buildings packed so close to each other, the church’s compound feels like an oasis. The garden is in immaculate condition. Not a strand of grass our of place.
If not for the mangled gate sitting at the corner, it would be perfect.
A small fountain fills the courtyard with the sound of flowing water.
There are several small trees in the garden including a cluster of bamboo, they are not matured enough to provide much shade but in time to come, they will be.
In 5 years this garden will be small eden.
I walked along the small stone slabs towards the church. I stepped into the interior and was overwhelmed by the change in spatial experience.
The high ceiling and the spill of sunlight into the prayer hall calmed my frayed nerves a little.
The pews are empty.
I was never a religious person but I believe strongly in something basic, respect.
Looking at a the cross, I said a silent prayer which sounded nothing like one.
Jeff : Boss…. I’ve never prayed to you…..i’m here to stop something bad from happening to someone that believes in you….. will appreciate any help you can spare….
As if my prayer had been heard, a small side door near the alter opened and I saw the same lady. She looked at me curiously.
I gave her a smile and I approached her.
Jeff : Hi…. I’m Jeff…. I’m the social worker that is suppose to start tomorrow….and I’m suppose to report to Mandy….
Her expression change from one of curiosity to one of a more friendly disposition.
She is Mandy.
Mandy : Oh hi…. I’m Mandy…. I thought you are suppose to be here tomorrow… !
Jeff : Yes yes… I am…. I was checking out the neighbourhood…..trying out the buses to see which one works best…..
Mandy : Oh… haha.. ok.. it’s a new estate… it can get confusing…
Jeff : exactly…. I wonder which genius comes up with the road names in Punggol….
Mandy giggled and she brushed back a strand of her hair that flew across her face.
She is about 1.6m tall. She’s slim and dressed simply in t-shirt and jeans. Her breast is small, probably a full A but I would say her figure is quite proportional. Her jeans isn’t exactly the figure complimenting type but I could tell she has a perky ass.
One that you could not resist smacking.
Her eyes are big with natural double eyelids.
She has no dimples in her smile but she has that cheerful outlook that is guaranteed to brighten your day.
Her giggles itself is enough to make me smile. You might not look twice at her along the street but trust me, this is exactly the type of girl you bring home to your parents and they immediately gives you your inheritance if you are expecting one.
Mandy : exactly !! I tried to take a taxi and they have no idea where I want to go…. !!
Jeff : I had to stare at google map for a while as I figure out the place…I guess the planners didn’t learn from their Sengkang experience….
That set Mandy off even more as she nodded her head.
Mandy : I stay in Sengkang….. when I first moved there in 2000,… I told the cab driver rivervale drive…. He took me to river valley… hahaha
Jeff : Oh… you stay in rivervale drive ??
Mandy : yeah I do…. It’s just a short drive away….why ? hahah
Jeff : you see… you belong to be wealthier batch of people in Sengkang….
Mandy : Why is that so ?
Jeff : After building Rivervale drive, the planners realised that cars are so expensive….. people cannot afford to buy them… so they came up with Rivervale Walk….
Mandy burst out laughing, bursting the sanctity of the church.
Jeff : I’m serious… my friend used to stay at rivervale drive….. scrapped his car and downgraded to rivervale walk…
Mandy : you are really funny la… hahah then… then what about the names in Punggol… Edgedale…Edgevale…. Hahah
Jeff : Come on… they already put an ‘edge’ in front of all the names…. you’re already at the edge of civilisation…. Can’t expect them to sugar coat everything can you ?? …
Mandy was half bent over by then chuckling as we walked towards the exit of the prayer hall.
Mandy : What about you Jeff… where do you stay ?
Jeff : I stay in Jurong East…..if you need to go beyond that… you need to bring your passport already…. Because that’s essentially Malaysia….
Mandy : Oh my god… hahah.. that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard this year… haha
I shrugged my shoulders and walked with Mandy as she said she will show me around the compound.
By the side of the main hall is the administrative office. A short single storey structure with plain looking doors. There’s a fresh coat of paint on the walls.
Mandy : This church was built a few years ago… but the 1st contractor did some pretty shabby work…. Place started falling apart…. We had to do a major rework on many parts of the church…
Jeff : Oh… no wonder it looks so new…
Mandy : We only just completed the works 2 months ago…. Actually we were planning for a grand opening and all but….
Jeff : But what ??
Mandy’s tone became solemn when she told me that an unfortunate incident happened a month ago.
Mandy : A girl that the orphanage took car off passed away….
I tried to keep my emotions in check and asked Mandy what happened.
Mandy : No one is sure… she got up in the middle of the night and left the church…. Something she has never done before… and…. And she ends up getting knocked down by a car….. poor thing….
I did not say anything to that.
Mandy : Poor girl… her twin sister is still here….
We stepped out into the patio and I saw Gwen sitting along on a stone bench. There are several of those scattered throughout the garden.
She hugged her knees and just stared into thin air.
Mandy : She hasn’t spoke a single word since her sister passed away….
Jeff : really ?
Mandy nodded her head.
Mandy : poor girl…. Imagine not having anyone left in this world…. All alone… I cried like a baby when my grandmother passed on…..but Gwen….Gwen is just shell shocked….
Mandy told me that Gwen did not cry when news of her sister’s death was made known to her.
Mandy : I broke it to her in the gentlest way possible….it was heart wrenching…. Her eyes went red….. then I could see the tears dropping silently….but it’s not the same as crying you know what I mean….?? She’s not letting her emotions out…. She’s bottling it all in… it’s not healthy….
I am also bottling all my emotions in at that moment, yet I had to somehow manage a weak smile.
Jeff : Life….. fucks with us all one way or another….
Mandy : woah…. Watch that language cowboy… hahah….chill man…
Gwen is the oldest kid in the orphanage. The other 3 are toddlers who just started to learn how to walk.
Mandy : The younger ones get adopted fast… but older kids like Gwen….it takes a while… and …. And recent developments… have not been helpful….sigh….
Mandy showed me the sleeping area where the kids are settled and introduced me to Auntie May.
Jeff : hello… I’m Jeff
May : Hello… hello…
Mandy : May takes care of the kids full time…. She rotates the shift with Mariel….where is Mariel ??
May : she’s at the back….
Mandy introduced me to her filipino colleague and we walked round the back to the last building in the compound. A smaller stretch of single storey structure with a pitched roof.
Mandy : This is the staff quarters….. here….this is the general store….
She opened the door and tried the light.
Mandy : Oh.. the bulb died a month back…. Still waiting for the handy man to come by…
Jeff : Handyman ? …. No need la… come.. I’ll do it..
Mandy : No.. no it’s ok…
Jeff : The bulb is right here…
It’s literally sitting 1m away on the shelves. I could see gardening equipment, spare parts, even some Christmas decorations neatly arranged on the shelves.
I grabbed the ladder and opened it.
It was a piece of cake.
When I was trying to replace the bulb though, I realised something weird.
Or rather, I felt something weird.
Say you see someone climbing a ladder, you want to offer your help. You would help to hold onto the ladder or whatever equipment the person needs right ?
I was only 2 steps up, the ceiling light isn’t exactly high up so that places my butt right in front of Mandy’s face.
I felt a shiver run down my spine when she asked if I needed help and she held onto my buttocks.
What the fuck.
Jeff : errrr….
This is weird on so many level.
She just pushed my butt cheeks up through my pants, in the same manner I would pretend I’m pushing up the boobs of a favourite teacher when I’m in school and a head shorter than her.
Mandy : Can ? ….. can or not ??
I don’t know what kind of answer to give her as I screwed in the new bulb.
Is she asking whether I can manage with the bulb or is she asking if I allowed her to push my buttocks ?
Jeff : ERmm… yeah.. it’s done… can you try ?
Mandy : Sure.. sure…
She let go and I jumped off the ladder.
The light came on and Mandy gave me a thumbs up.
Mandy : wow…. You are a man with many talents Jeff… hahaha
Jeff :Thank you… haha… you have no idea what I can do…
Mandy : hmmmmmmm…..
I turned and put the ladder back where I took it from and I literally jumped in the storeroom.
Jeff : arghh!!
She pinched me.
She fucking pinched my backside.
I turned around and I looked at Mandy who spoke before I could.
Mandy : That statement of yours… hmmm…. I hope you don’t meant it in a sexual way you know… hahah… hahah… it can easily be interpreted as sexual harassment… towards a colleague… hahaha.. hahah
I was staring at her with my mouth half opened as she shut the light of the storeroom.
Mandy : come on… I’ll show you the sleeping quarters…
I massaged my buttocks and exhaled.
Now not only do I have to worry about Clement, I have to worry about a fucking horny colleague.
Mandy : This room is shared between May and Mariel …..they usually sleep in the kids room…. And this other room…
She showed me the other room at the extreme corner. It’s a nice room, like your hostel in university. Functional and neat with 2 single bed.
Mandy : This is mine… and…. Yours….
I nodded my head with a frozen smile.
Jeff ; Right…. Ok….
Mandy : You mentioned you stay in Jurong East right ?? that’s so far… maybe you’ll want to bring some clothes over….you know… that way.. you don’t need to head back every day….
I have a feeling Mandy might want to rape me. If not for the skills I have equipped myself with over the years, I would have bolted from this place right away.
She’s really sweet and nice but she gives me a feeling she keeps a lot bottled up inside her as well. Something is waiting to explode inside her too. Perhaps her virginity.
This is a good opportunity for me to move in and I immediately voiced my thoughts.
Jeff : well….ermm… you stay just a short drive away right…. I guess you don’t really use the room often…. So I hope you don’t mind if I use it…. Now and then….
Mandy : No… no… no…. of course not… go ahead….well…I could always stay over you know… it’s good to get to know a new colleague…
Jeff : ermmm…I ermm
Mandy : oh…I’m sorry… I’m sorry… are you attached or married ??
Jeff : No.. no I’m single….
Mandy literally drooled, perhaps wet herself as she cast another lustful look at my groin region. She is good.
Really good.
I mean not many people can make me feel uncomfortable. Not even the baddest ass of fuckers I’ve put away but she, she fucking makes me feel uncomfortable.
Mandy : Well…go ahead and move in…hahha…it’s quiet at night around here….
Jeff : Right…..ok…
Mandy suddenly lowered her voice and told me that no alcohol is allowed on church grounds
Mandy : but we are all adults… I won’t say if you won’t….
She gave me a wink together with a click of her tongue as she opened the mini fridge by the side of her bed.
My eyes lit up immediately as I saw the 21 year old bottle of Hibiki.
Mandy : ahhh…. You know the good stuff when you see it eh… hahah….
Jeff : ermmm…well… I don’t think we should…
Mandy : Not in broad daylight duhz…. Hahah… let’s find a evening you know… we grab a meal…. Then maybe chill out….a drink or two…
I managed another weak smile and told her I look forward to it.
We left the staff quarters and I pointed to the cameras mounted on the columns and ceilings.
Jeff : are those working ??
Mandy : No… they went down about 2 months ago…
Impeccable timing.
Mandy : Management said they will fix it… but it’s been sitting there ever since…. Took all the recordings with them too….
Jeff : What about the gate… it’s trashed… anyone can just drive in… security is an issue…
Mandy : Hahah… come on… this is Singapore… very safe… very safe…. Don’t worry…
We wrapped up the tour ending at the main entrance of the church. Mandy asked me what do I think of the place.
Jeff : seems like a nice place to work… look forward to getting started.. !
Mandy :Really ! hahah.. good… looking forward to spending the night…. Sorry… I meant… you chilling out….hahaha…it’s been a lonely period for me… and aermm… i… I don’t know why am I blabbering… haha
Jeff : ermm…ok… i.. I should be bringing some stuff over… to stay over occasionally…
Mandy :sure.. sure… the… the shared bathroom has some of my toiletries…. Feel free to use them… hahaha….
Jeff : ermm… well thank you… haha..oh by the way…. You know… we guys… having been through army and all…. We get a bit… particular with security and all…. Seeing how open this place is…
Mandy : oh really ?
Jeff : Yeah…Singapore is safe and all but… seeing the gate down… is a little… uncomfortable…. Is it ok if I do something about it ??
Mandy :sure.. sure but… but I have to tell you in advance…. Asking the management for money…. When it comes to big ticket item like this….it’s really…. Really… hard…hahah you know what I mean…
I waved her off with a smile.
Jeff : Haiyah… small issue la… my uncle owns a factory producing gates like this…. I can get it done on the cheap….. it’ll look exactly the same… I’ll do it…. A small contribution to the Church….
Mandy stared at me with her mouth and eyes wide open.
If she hasn’t wet herself earlier, I think she just did. She exhaled, wiped her palms on her pants and brushed back the stray fringes on her head. Her zealousness is really commendable. Mandy is probably in her early thirties, she can be cute depending on the perspective you take.
At the moment, she feels more like a charging bull, eager to bulldoze her way into my life.
Mandy : wow…..
Jeff : Aiyah…. Don’t make a big deal out of it…. Haha
Mandy checked the time on her watch and offered to buy me coffee.
Mandy : Let me get my wallet ….
I followed her towards the area where the kids are staying. We walked passed Gwen’s room and I slowed down, looking into the small simple room where Gwen shared with her sister.
The louvered aluminium windows looked like relics from a different era but it offered me a glimpse into the private lives of the girls.
Mandy saw me slow down and she knocked on the door.
Gwen is inside the room with a book in hand.
Mandy :Hi Gwen…. We have a new staff…. Just want to say hi…
I appeared at the door and made my first eye contact with her.
There was no smile, no nod of acjnowledgement, no greeting.
Gwen stared at me for a few seconds before looking away.
Mandy spoke to me softly by the door.
Mandy : It’s heartbreaking to look at her….. I cry for her sometimes…. I tried to arrange for a therapist to speak with her but their schedule is so packed…. They can only send one next month….
I looked at Mandy and asked her if I could try.
Jeff : Can I try talking to her ?
Mandy laughed.
Mandy : haha… go ahead… everyone has tried…. She refused to even open her mouth… she refused to stepped out of the church compound…. Not even to accompany me across the road to the coffee shop for lunch….
Jeff ; Well…. If you don’t try… you never know right…
Mandy : sure… I would like to see… your…… many talents… hahaha..
I knocked on the door again but Gwen ignored me, choosing to lose herself in the book she was holding in her hands. I looked at the book title, Journey to the west, a classic I’m sure many of us enjoyed when we were little.
As I entered the room, every detail I took in broke my heart a little.
Pictures of Gillian and Gwen adorned the sparsely furnished room.
Some pictures are printed on normal A4 pieces of paper, some are instant polaroid. Most of them without frames, the ones that had were handmade. Like taking a walk through history, the pictures tracked the girls growing up years.
Names of different orphanages are visible at the background of some of them. The number of hands they had passed through.
I wondered what went through their heads each time they moved.
The adults don’t want us, passing us around from one to another.
Their smiles radiated warmth in the old grainy pictures. They are sweet and pretty, pretty enough for me to acknowledge that if I ever have daughters, I would want them to look like Gwen and Gillian.
There are a lot of drawings on the walls. They typical stick figures albeit with a bit more details. There are always 2 stick figures.
2 for 2 girls.
2 for 2 sisters.
The stationaries belonging to the girls are properly labelled. I could see everything that belonged to Gillian remained untouched. The table the girls shared is neatly divided into 2.
The names of each girl proudly decorated in glitters on the top corners.
I could almost see an image of the 2 girls back in happier times, bickering and talking to each other as they draw on that very desk.
There’s a shelf filled with books so old that the paper has turned yellow and blackish. Some of the covers are barely holding on. I looked at the titles that the girls read.
The usual Enid Blyton I read as a kid, most of it are about the famous five, the adventurous four, even one of my favourite when I was young, adventures of the wishing chair.
People read for many reasons, some chose to enrich themselves, some just want to escape the harsh realities of life. There is a reason why people chose to forgo sleep, flipping page after page knowing full well it’s a work of fiction, that it’s not real but we cannot help it.
Choosing to fully immerse yourself in the world of the characters. To see what they see, to feel what they feel.
The girls chose the easiest form of escape available to them.
Books.
They can climb the highest mountains, sail across the four seas right in the comforts and safety of each other’s company.
Perhaps they flip each page hoping for the escape that would finally come their way. True freedom to lead their lives by each other’s side.
Jeff : Hi Gwen….. may I sit down ?
She did not answer me, not that I expect one.
I grabbed a stool and sat down beside her bed.
Her eyes never left the book.
Jeff : I like this story…. Have you watched the show before ??
Again Gwen remained unfazed, choosing to flip over a page, hanging on to every word of the novel.
I asked Gwen if I could read to her.
Jeff : Can I …. Read a chapter to you ? ….lend some life to the characters ?
She looked up at me as if I said something ridiculous.
I gave her a reassuring smile and reached for the book, stopping my hand halfway from her. I want to see if she would take up the offer.
She hesitated. I don’t blame her.
Jeff : Just a chapter…. Nothing more… you don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to….
Gwen looked at me. Her big round eyes painted a picture of hurt and pain. Inflicted upon her by a world she has yet to understand.
She handed the book over and I could hear Mandy gasped at the door.
I took over the book and I could see scribbles and drawings on them. I cleared my throat and I started to read. I narrated the part the Tang Monk travelled to the Kingdom of the women together with his 3 disciples.
I alternated my voices, going mischievous and squezky when I played the monkey, going dorky when I played Piggy, and being a little goofy when I spoke as Sandy.
It’s an adaptation of the original piece meant for younger audience. The dialogues are simple, some are funny. I spoke each line, animating it as if I am playing the characters.
I could hear Mandy laughing at the humorous part, but not Gwen.
Not her.
She just looked at me, curious why this man would come out of nowhere and read to her.
From a sitting position, she started to get more comfortable and relaxed. Gwen propped her pillow properly and laid down. Her eyes are open, still looking at me.
At the end of 30 minutes, as I wrapped up the chapter with the Tang Monk and disciples entering the palace, Gwen’s eyes were closed.
Her breathing was light. She had fallen asleep.
I closed the book and put it by her side. Turning to look at Mandy, I could see the look of awe in her eyes.
Mandy : you…… have no idea….. how sexy you looked when you read….. wow…. Are you gay ??